sundback



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

G. J. SUNDBAGK.

FOLDING BED.

N0.431,825. Patented July 8, 1890.

' INVENTDR.

WITNESSES:

s PETERS co., mom-mum, wAsHmuYnN, n. c.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. O. J. SUNDBAOK.

FOLDING BED.

No. 431,825. Patented July 8, 1890.

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Azls filiarn ey UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL J. SUNDBAOK, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAII TERRITORY.

FOLDING B ED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,825, dated July 8,1890.

Application filed June 17, 1889. $erial No. 314,544. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL J. SUNDBACK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and Territory ofUtah, have invented certain new I and useful Improvements in FoldingBeds; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists of the bedstead made in two longitudinal sectionsseparated at the middle and pivoted on a short base, so as to swingupright side by side into the form of a cabinet-case, of which the saidbase forms the lower part, both the sections being balanced by a springfor convenience of handling, and being adapted for ready adjustment toany desired inclination of either section for the convenience ofinvalids, and also so that one section may be used alone for a childsbed, when required, all as hereinafter fully de scribed, reference beingmade to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevationof the bed folded up as a cabinet-case with some parts broken out. Fig.2 is a side elevation of the bed with one section turned down, as for achilds bed, and with the end plate of the base removed. Fig. 3 is a sideelevation with both sections turned down for a full-sizedbedandwithparts broken out to show some of the balancing apparatus, and alsowith the end plate of the base detached. Fig. 4 is a plan of the bottomof the base, showing the balancingsprings applied to continuous rodsextending from end to end of the base. Fig. 5 is a plan of a portion ofthe base, showing short rods for the individual springs. Fig. 6represents sections of part of one of the sections of the bedstead,illustrating more fully the balancing apparatus. Fig. 7 is a transversesection of the base and part of one of the sections of the bedsteadturned upright and part of the other down.

I provide a base a, as wide as the folded bed is to be when set up as acabinet-case, Fig. 1, and as long as the width of the bedstead, andhaving a standard-plate 1) near each end, but inside of the end casingc, and make the bedstead of two longitudinal sections d, separatedtransversely at the middle, and pivot them to the standard-plates b ate, respectively, so as to swing up together side by side, as in Fig. 1,and down either singly or both, as in Figs. 2 and 3, so that in onecondition I the bedstead and the base represent a cabinetcase, inanother they become a childs bed, and in a third condition a full-sizedbed, the base being the entire support of the cabinetcase and the middlesupport of the bedstead, the ends of which have the folding legs '9,which drop into the supporting condition when the bed-sections areturned down. To balance the sections of the bedstead, I make them withthe segmental circles 77.,having the pivot-centers e for their axis, andcouple them by cords or chains 2' over said circles with the pulleys jon the spring-rollers 7t, located in the base and so adjusted that asthe bedsections swing down the springs contract and allow suchoperation, while balancing the weight, or nearly so, according as theyare adjusted, and the recoil of the springs returns the sections to theupright position with a slight assistance of the operator. The segmentalcircles h are suitably grooved for carrying the chains or cords, as inFig. 6.

The spring-rollers may extend the whole length of the base and have apulley on each end with a chain or cordt' to each side of the bed-frame,as in Fig. 4, or short separate spring-rollers to each side may be used,as in The pulleys j are placed on the angular ends of the spring-rollersdetachably, Figs. 2 and 3, and they are located behind the detachableend piece 0 of the base, so that they are readily accessible anddetachable for- By having the standards I) of the base inside of thesides of the parts dtwo important advantages are obtained: First, thestand IOC ards, which are of necessity so high as to make anobjectionable appearance if outside, are concealed, and the lower endcasings may be placed outside instead of them to represent a base finishsimilar to that on the front side, and thus conceal to a greater extentthe indications of abed when folded up, and, second, these end casingsbeing removable, as above stated, expose, when taken oft, the pulleys jmuch more accessibly for adjustment, as above described, to vary thetension of the springs than if the standards were outside, in which casethe pulleys would have to be inside.

When the standard I) is made of wood, as it will generally be preferredto make it, it will be re-enforced with a metallic strip m to supportthe pivot c, said strip being set in flush with the surface and fastenedby screws p, and the sides of the parts (1 are similarly re-enforcedwith plates at to sustain the thrusts of the pivots. These plates n alsohave stop-studs 0, which swing in'recesses q of the standard, and cometo rest on the upper edge of the bars m when the sections of thebedstead reach the upright position and prevents them from passingbeyond under the influence of the springs.

The base has a permanent plate 8, eXtend-' ing across from standard tostandard, level with and occupying the space between the ends of thebottom of the bedstead-sections d, when turned down, on which the edgesof the mattress if made in two parts or the fold if made in one part, soas to double when the bed is folded up, rest when so folded up. Thespace thus occupied by said plate is that which necessarily existsbetween the said end portions of the bedstead, because of being pivotedat the opposite sides of the base. In Fig. 7 .this plate is representedin two separate parts, one of which is about as much higher than theother as the thickness of the plate the purpose of which is to allow thelower edge of the bottom of that section of the bedstead which is thefront of the cabinet-case when folded up to swing under said higherportion of plate 8 when turned down, said bottom or front beingnecessarily made a little longer to close with the inner upper edge ofthe front of the base when folded up than will permit of its terminatingflush with the edge of plate 5 when folded down if said part of plate 8were in the plane of said bottom when folded down. One of the sections dhas a head-piece t, pivoted at u, so as to swing slightly with stops 4;to limit the same, and is made with cleats w on the lower margins todrop over the upper end of the other sect-ion, as indicated in Figs. 1and 2-, to retain both parts in the upright position. In this example Irepresent the mode of fastening the cords or chains to thebedsteadsections d, above the segments h, to consist of inserting themthrough the hole 00 (dotted line Fig. 6) and the recess 3 to the insideof the side piece of the bedstead and knotened to the standards in theaxes of the folding sections without provision for and wherenotaecessible for adj ustability. My invention is distinguished from thedevices of this patent in that I use spring-rollers of the well knownconstruction adapted for ready adjustment to vary the tension of thespring and locate them in the bottom of the middle section, where theyare readily accessible for .adjusment, which is a very necessarycondition in folding beds, and being so located I connect the rollers tothe folding sections by the segmental pulley and chain deviceintermediate to said springs and folding sections. These have noequivalent in said patent.

I am also aware of the patent to Rieckert, N 0. 235,293, in which aspring-roller is used of substantially the same character as mine, andconnected by a strap and pulley totlie short arms of the folding sectionof a folding bed in which the whole length folds from one side,

but without the segmental pulley on the folding section. My invention isdistinguished from this device in that the chains of the spring-rollersare connected to the segmental pulley ends of the folding sections ofthe bedstead, so that while the power of the springs lessens by theirexpansion the leverage remains the same, and thus they hold up thefolding sections better than when the letter the power of the springs.

I claim 1. In a folding bed comprising the middle base-section and thetwo end sections pivoted .to opposite sides thereof, the combination ofthe headpiece or cover withsaid end sections and hinged to one of themand also connected to the same by the stops limiting the opening of thecover, said cover having the cleats on the margins of the lower sideclosing over the upper end of the other end section to retain the twoend sections in close connection in the upright position, substantiallyas described.

- 2. In a folding bed comprising the middle base-section b and the twoend portions (1, pivoted to the opposite sides of said middle sec-.tion, respectively, and having the segmental circles h, of aspring-roller to each pivoted end portion and arranged side by sideunder the said middle base-section, cords or chains connecting saidspring-rollers and segmental circles of the said end portions of thebed,

and re-enforcing plates at on the sides of parts d and having thestop-studs 0, and bars 'm on and re-enforcing standards b and formingage diminishes together with the lessening of located in the planes ofsaid circular ends and the end casings c of the middle'base-sectionexterior to the sides of the folding end sections, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- CARL J. SUNDBACK. Witnesses:

W. J. MORGAN,

W. B. EARLL.

